Ball-bearing.



No. 822,723. P-ATENTED JUNE 5,Y 1906.

R. CONRAD.

BALL BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.23.1904.

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BALL BEARING.

APPLICATION EILED FEB. 23. 1904.

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BALL-BEARING..

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led February 23, 1904. Serial No. 194,894.

Patented June 5, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LROBERT CONRAD, civil engineer, a subject of theEmperor of Austria- Hungary, residing at 248 Kurfurstondamm, in the cityof Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Ball-Bearings, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention provides a ball-bearing having concentric-grooved rings,the sides of the grooves being uninterrupted throughout theircircumference and the parts being so proportioned and designed that theballs may be admitted to the grooved space by displacing the ringsrelatively to each other. `The term ball-bearingsuis to be understood asincludin various other known equivalent devices rol ing between therings.

The principal advantage of the new bearing lies in the continuity of thesides of the groove, which insures the regular running of the balls, andconsequently great durability of the bearing, and which also enables thebearing to support a greater pressure than bearings having aninterruption or recess for inserting balls through the side of the ring.

Other features of improvement are referred to in detail hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments ofthe invention.

Figure 1 is a face view of complete bearing; Fig. 2, a diametricalsection of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a face view showing the manner of introducingthe balls. Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to views 1 and 2, showing themodi- Fi 6 is a face' view, and Fig. 7 an edge view, o the cage used inFigs. 4 and 5. Fig. 8 is a face view of another modification. I,

Referring to the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated, the twoconcentric rings a and b have between them a number of balls c orequivalent rolling devices. Each ring has a groove the sides of whichoverhang the balls to a slight extent. The sides of the grooves and, infact, all the parts of each ring are continuous and practically integralthroughout the entire length of the ring. In the normal position of theparts the balls cannot escape, the space between the sides of thegrooves being slightly less than the diameter of the balls. Similarlythe balls hold the two rings together against axial displacement, sothat all the parts are held together and form a unitary device. Theedges of the rings, however, are spaced so far apart from each otherthat they may be displaced eccentrically relatively to each other in themanner shown in Fig. 3, leaving a crescent-shaped space of sufficientwidth to permit the introduction of'a limited number of balls. Thecrescentshaped space is marked d. The rings may be then restored totheir concentric position and spreaders or distributing devicesintroduced into the spaces between the balls, so as to distribute `thementirely around the raceway and to prevent their return to a positionsuch as Fi 3, which would permit the escape of the ba ls,

' The number of balls which can be introduced may be increased byeffecting a slight elastic deformation ortilting and at the same timepressing an additional ball between the others.

The exact shape ofthe groove is not material. It will depend upon theshape of the ball or rolling device or on various other conditions. Thespacers also may be of various designs, many of which are known inconnection with ball-bearings of other types, where, however, they donot serve the same function of retaining all the parts together ina'unitary whole.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the spacers f are connected to each other by a ring e,so as to form a cage. One or two ofthe spacers f are made of extralength and bent over at the end in order to prevent the cage from beingremoved in an axial direction. It will be seen that the spacers f holdthe balls in the position of Fig. l-that is to say, in the distributedposition-preventing the balls from' runningtoether, and thus allowin oneof the rings-to gall down against the ot er and release the ballsthrough the crescent-shaped space. In Figs. 4 to 7 are shown spacers ofanother type. These spacers are in the form of arms projecting from aring; but in this case a split ring g is employed, and the arms i attheir juncture at the ring are reduced to form recesses h, withoverhanging edges. To 'insert these spacers, the ring is compressed andinserted near the innermost points ofthe balls, so that the overhangingarms i may pass between the balls. The ring being then released expands,so that the balls arecaught in the recesses h and hold the cage inplace.

Instead of the solid spacers shown yielding spacers may be employed, andthe spacers mayl be connected to or disconnected from eachother. Forexample, in Fig. 8 there is shown a separate and yielding spacer in theICO IIO

form of the spiral spring 7c, which upon being compressed may beintroduced into the groove or withdrawn therefrom between theoverhanging edges of the groove;`

I do not claim in the present application the described method ofassembling the parts of my improved ball-bearing, this method beingclaimed in a divisional application filed May 18, 1906.

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rings eccentrically to each other.

2. A ball-bearing including two concentric rings having opposing grooveson their adia-l cent faces,the sides of said grooves engaging the ballsto prevent substantial lateral movement, said sides being uninterruptedthroughout their circumference and adapted to admit balls to the groovedspace between them by displacement of the rings eccentrically to eachother.

3. A ball-bearing including two concentric .rings having opposinggrooves on their adj acent faces, the sides of said grooves'engaging theballs to prevent substantial lateral movement, and'said rings beingadapted to admit a limited number of balls to the grooved space betweenthem by displacement of the rings, and means for distributing the ballsaround the entire length of the grooves.

4, A ball-bearing including two concentric rings having opposing grooveson their adj acent faces, the sides of said grooves engaging the ballsto prevent substantial lateral movement, andsaid rings bein adapted 'toadmit a limited number' of balls to the grooved space between them bydisplacement of the rings, and separatin devices one between each pairof balls, sai separating devices being connected to each other.

5. A ball-bearing including two concentric rings having opposing grooveson their adj acent faces, lthe sides of said grooves engaging the ballsto prevent substantial lateral movement, and said-.rings bein adapted toadmit -a limited number of bals to the grooved spacebetween them bydisplacement of the rin s, and yielding means for separating the bal s.i.

6. 'A ball-bearing including two concentric rings having opposinggrooves on their adi acent faces, the sides of said grooves engaging-the balls to prevent substantial lateral movement, and said rings beingadapted to admit a limited number of balls to the grooved space betweenthem by\displacement of the rings, and separators adaptedto be insertedl between the balls when the ringsare in their normal concentricposition.

7. A ball-bearing including two concentric rings having opposing grooveson their adj acent faces, the sides of said grooves engaging the ballsto prevent substantial lateral movement, and said rings bein adapted toadmit a limited number of ba ls to the grooved space between them bydisplacement of the rings, and separators adapted to be deformed topermit their insertion between thev balls when the rings are inconcentric position.

8. A bearing comprising two concentric rings, balls between said rings,each ring having a groove `both sides of which overhang lsaid balls andare continuous and practically` integral throu hout their circumference,the number of balls bein inserted in the space etween the rings when thelatter are displaced` from their normal position, and means fordistributing the balls throughout the length of the groove, whereby thetwo rings are heldtogether against axial displacement by the engagementof the balls with the overhanging walls of the 4grooves and the partsare held together so as to form a unitary device.

9. A bearing com rising two concentric rings, a and b, balls c etweensaid rings, each ring having a groove both sides of which overhang saidballs and are continuous and practica ly integral throughout theircircum-l ference, the edges of said sides bein separated so far fromeach other that by isplacing the rings eccentrically a limited number ofballs may be inserted between them, and distributing devices adapted tobe introduced Vbetween saidV edges and into the spaces, be-

tween said balls when the rings are restored to. concentric position,whereby the two rings are held together against axial Ydisplacement bythe engagement of the balls with the overhanging walls of the groovesand the parts are held together so as to form a unitary device.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of,two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT CONRAD.

Witnesses:

- HENRY HASPER,

WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

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